This is in response to the request from Tony Travis to post a synopsis of
what net readers are up to.
Field of Interest: Fat. I thought I'd reproduce an abstract since it does a
fairly decent job of summing up my (and my colleagues') recent area of
research (from Plant Physiology (1993) Supplement, abstract 2):
Genes of Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in Developing Oilseeds
A. J. Kinney, W.D. Hitz, N.S. Yadav, L. Perez-Grau
DuPont Experimental Station, Wilmington, Delaware,USA
Our objective is to produce differentiated plant oils through the genetic
manipulation of oilseed crops. The initial focus of our studies has been
the production of canola and soybean varieties that yield healthier (lower
in saturated fatty acids) and more stable (lower in polyunsaturated fatty
acids) edible oils. We have isolated cDNAs corresponding to many of the
genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and modification in developing
oilseeds; including fatty acid synthetases, acyl-acp thioesterases and both
soluble and membrane-associated fatty-acid desaturases. These cDNAs have
been isolated by both biochemical (purification of fatty acid biosynthetic
enzymes and protein microsequencing) and genetic (tDNA insertional
mutagenesis) techniques. The availibility of these cDNAs has allowed us to
study patterns of expression of fatty acid biosynthetic genes in developing
oilseeds. Knowledge of the DNA and deduced amino acid sequences of fatty
acid biosynthetic genes has allowed us to compare the primary structures of
related genes in a single species and among different plant species. We
have reintroduced these cDNAs, in both sense and antisense orientations,
under the control of heterologous promoters, into soybean, canola and other
plants. In addition to allowing the manipulation of oilseed fatty acid
content, these experiments are leading to a better understanding of the
regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis in plant cells.
Required Opinion on Free Will: I must bend to the Dupontum arbitrium
(Divine will). So must our (transgenic) plants.
Drink of Choice: I'll share a wee dram with Dr. Travis and "...face the
Devil" (or whatever else the evening may bring).
Favorite defunct coin: Half crown (2/6d, worth about a Quarter. My
Grandfather called the Half-Crown, refering to a much healthier-mythical
perhaps- exchange rate, a Dollar) A tanner (sixpence, which was worth about
a Nickel) comes in a close second.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this posting are not necessarily those
of DuPont, it's shareholders or its lackeys.
Tony Kinney
P.O. Box 80402
Dupont Experimental Station
Wilmington, DE 19880-0402
USA